Earth Day is this Sunday, and I wanted to offer some simple suggestions on how you can make small changes that will add up to big benefits for our Earth. It doesn’t require a lot of effort to make the world better, plus, you feel good when you do it!!
I would like to challenge anyone reading this to just choose one or two things. Let me know what you did – I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to email me.
10 Things You Can Do TODAY!!
1. Change your lightbulbs. Go to the store and look for Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL). They will cost you a bit more, but last 8-10 years and you’ll see a savings in your electric bill.
2. Turn off the lights when you leave the room, and when you leave the house.
3. Unplug appliances when you are not using them. Items such as your toaster or coffee maker still use energy when they are plugged in, even if when you are not using them. You can also purchase a Smart Strip, or plug everything into a regular power strip and turn off the power strip when you are not using the items that are plugged into it.
4. Consider bringing your own bag to the grocery store. You can purchase reusable grocery bags at: www.reusablebags.com.
5. Use less water. You don’t have to have the faucet running the entire time you are shaving or brushing your teeth! Fill the sink with water when you shave, or turn the faucet off until you are ready to rinse your mouth when brushing your teeth.
6. Don’t throw away clothes and shoes. You can donate clothes to Goodwill, Purple Heart, or the Salvation Army. Some places even have pick-up, so you don’t even have to leave the house! Remember, leather products do not easily biodegrade.
7. Bring your own coffee cup to the coffee shop. Some places even offer a bit of a discount if you bring your own cup. Plus, you cut down on those paper cups that just end up in the trash!
8. Cut down on paper napkins. Sometimes fast food places give you a huge handful, but you don’t need to use them all! Take what you need and keep the rest in the car, or take them home, or even just give back the extra napkins.
9. Consider using natural house cleaning products such as those made by Method or Myers. You can even make your own recipes! Check out this website for some recipe ideas: http://www.recipegoldmine.com/house/house.html A lot of commercial cleansing products have chemicals that are not good for you, and you really don’t need all that stuff in your body.
10. Consume less. It’s ok to say no. Do you really need 20 napkins and an armload of plastic utensils from the drive -thru if your just on your way home or to the office? Do you really need everything double bagged at the grocery store? Do you really need to purchase a six pack of yogurt when you can buy one large container?
